With the 1945-1946 schoolyear, the yearbook staff devised a new annual feature–Miss Touchstone. The beauty contest included students nominated from each class as the most attractive. The entire student body would vote to narrow the pool of nominees, and photos of each of the remaining contestants were submitted to a celebrity judge for consideration. The most photogenic Hood girl was named the winner and recognized in the yearbook as “Miss Touchstone” along with a full-page photo. The runners-up and finalists also received mention in the publication. Mary Elizabeth Hazlett ’49 was selected as the first Miss Touchstone by Harry Conover, head of the famous Conover Model Agency in New York City. Other notable judges included Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Johnny Carson. Playboy icon Hugh Hefner selected the final winner, Nancy Baker ’72, in 1970. Perhaps due to the rise of the feminist movement of the time or Hood’s decision to begin admitting male students, Miss Touchstone, a staple of the College’s yearbook for 25 years, faded away. For the 1975 Touchstone, staff members briefly revived the tradition in the form of a “Mr. Touchstone” contest to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the yearbook. Alumnae director Caroline Stone amusingly chose a snowman as the winner, citing his unpretentious looks, presumed good manners on a first date, and ability to chill a six-pack.
| Yearbook | Judge | Winner | Runners-Up (R)/Finalists (F) |
| 1946 | Harry Conover | Mary Elizabeth Hazlett ’49 | Madeline Aldrin ’47 (R)
Jane Pennington ’46 (R) Nancy Webster ’48 (R) |
| 1947 | Staff of The Princetonian, Princeton University | Madeline Aldrin ’47 | Gretchen Groff ’48 (R)
Mildred Hittinger ’49 (R) Anne Howell ’49 (R) |
| 1948 | Bob Hope | Mildred Hittinger ’49 | Gretchen Groff ’48 (1R)
Patricia Hensel ’51 (2R) |
| 1949 | Fred Waring | Diane Bruhwer ’51 | Mildred Hittinger ’49 (1R)
Anne Howell ’49 (2R) |
| 1950 | Al Capp | Stephanie Emerson ’53 | Nancy Henderson ’53 (1R)
Mercedes Gery ’52 (2R) |
| 1951 | Jon Whitcomb | Nancy Henderson ’53 | Yrene-Burr Jagger ’53 (1R)
Diane Bruhwer ’51 (2R) |
| 1952 | Ed Sullivan | Phoebe Webb ’53 | Dorothy Scates ’55 (1R)
JoAnne McCune ’53 (2R) |
| 1953 | Gene Nelson | M. Elizabeth Reid ’54 | N. Elizabeth Robinson ’53 (1R)
Dorothy Scates ’55 (2R) |
| 1954 | Staff of The Aegis, Dartmouth College | Phyllis Travis ’57 | Joan Sommer ’54 (1R)
Elisabeth Taylor ’56 (2R) |
| 1955 | Robert Wagner | Marthanne Stephens ’58 | Margaret Mitchell ’55 (1R)
Louise Schaffner ’55 (2R) |
| 1956 | Vaughn Monroe | Hattie Snyder ’57 | Beverly Moore ’56 (1R)
Carol Fredrikson ’57 (2R) |
| 1957 | Danny Kaye | A. Gail Wohkittel ’58 | Mara Eksteins ’57 (1R)
Carol Horwath ’58 (2R) Starr Culver ’59 (F) L. Kathryn Damerel ’57 (F) Carol Fredrikson ’57 (F) Jane Hollister ’58 (F) Gail Mulliken ’59 (F) L. Ann Timmerman ’57 (F) Janet Weller ’60 (F) |
| 1958 | Mr. John (John P. John of Mr. John, Inc.) | Carol Horwath ’58 | Gail Mulliken ’59 (1R)
Jane Hollister ’58 (2R) Penelope Adams ’58 (F) Elanor Black ’60 (F) Starr Culver ’59 (F) Judith Fahy ’60 (F) Mary Anne Fleetwood ’61 (F) Maryvonne Grangier ’59 (F) Janet Weller ’60 (F) |
| 1959 | Anne Fogarty | Janet Knecht ’59 | Elanor Black ’60 (R)
J. Lee Booth ’62 (R) Marilyn Mumford ’59 (R) Betsy Diehl ’61 (R) Judith Fahy ’60 (R) Patricia Merrill ’62 (R) Gail Mulliken ’59 (R) L. Claire Stidger ’61 (R) M. Joan Sutton ’60 (R) |
| 1960 | Paul Newman | Susan Hill ’63 | Mary Vilardo ’62 (R)
Beverly Yarroll ’61 (R) |
| 1961 | David Niven | Catherine Kuralt ’64 | Donna Blaydow ’61 (1R)
Carolyn Maxwell ’63 (2R) |
| 1962 | Barry Sullivan | Betsy “Sunny” Griffin ’62 | Beverly Jones ’65 (1R)
Ann Fulton ’65 (2R) Carolyn Beal ’64 (F) Ann Louise Pursell ’62 (F) Helen Horn ’65 (F) Marcia Kerr ’63 (F) D. Margaret Kipp ’63 (F) Lenore McNulty ’64 (F) Patricia Merrill ’62 (F) |
| 1963 | Bing Crosby | Rebecca Harris ’65 | Ruth Fredericks ’64 (1R)
Mary Jane Danner ’63 (2R) A. Sylvia Barnett ’66 (F) Sheryl Fisher ’63 (F) Sue Hertzler ’65 (F) Marcia Kerr ’63 (F) Janet Lott ’66 (F) Lenore McNulty ’64 (F) Marguerite Villecco ’64 (F) |
| 1964 | Richard Chamberlain | Pamela Bucher ’65 | Susan Detwiler ’66 (1R)
Martha Norman ’67 (2R) Margaret Benson ’64 (F) Ann Fulton ’65 (F) Sue Hertzler ’65 (F) Kirstin Kvam ’64 (F) Janet Lott ’66 (F) Lenore McNulty ’64 (F) Susan Rickerich ’66 (F) |
| 1965 | Staff of The Harvard Lampoon, Harvard University | Sue Hertzler ’65 | Evelyn Burkhardt ’65 (1R)
Ruth Olean ’66 (2R) Alice Ernst ’67 (F) Ann Fulton ’65 (F) Nancy Hoveman ’65 (F) Beverly Jones ’65 (F) Sandra Louden ’67 (F) Alexis Nagy ’68 (F) Janet Raymond ’65 (F) |
| 1966 | Steven McQueen | Gail Hartman ’67 | Jan Bowers ’66 (1R)
Susan Rickerich ’66 (2R) Olivia Day ’69 (F) Jane Dwight ’68 (F) Alice Ernst ’67 (F) Cynthia Ervin ’67 (F) Janet Lott ’66 (F) Jean Robie ’68 (F) Elizabeth Yeats ’69 (F) |
| 1967 | Paul Newman | Elizabeth Barleon ’69 | Mary “Sam” Ryan ’70 (1R)
Nina Kirshen ’68 (2R) Martha Denton ’68 (F) Linda Honan ’70 (F) Lois Kievit ’67 (F) Sandra Louden ’67 (F) Marilyn Mundy ’69 (F) Margaret Soxman ’68 (F) Monica West ’69 (F) |
| 1968 | Johnny Carson | Karen Fogleman ’69 | Elizabeth Barrett ’71 (1R)
Mary Rife ’70 (2R) Judith Ashway ’71 (F) Martha Denton ’68 (F) Susan Pendell ’70 (F) Diane Sharp ’68 (F) Maxine Shupis ’68 (F) Margaret Soxman ’68 (F) Carol Tag ’69 (F) |
| 1969 | The Vanilla Fudge | Patricia Etzel ’69 | Gail Haulenbeek ’71 (1R)
Mary Rife ’70 (2R) Nancy Baker ’72 (F) Dana Eser ’70 (F) Jean Gerlach ’70 (F) Mildred Smith ’71 (F) Sarah Snyder ’69 (F) |
| 1970 | Hugh Hefner | Nancy Baker ’72 | Mary Rife ’70 (1R)
Gail Haulenbeek ’71 (2R) Carol Crawford ’72 (F) Yvette Prizant ’73 (F) Sandra Russell ’71 (F) Mary “Sam” Ryan ’70 (F) Marianne Taylor ’72 (F) |
